・Built in the last few months of classic Mini production ・Full Cooper Sport spec
・Low mileage
The Background
On the 4th October 2000, the final Mini rolled off the production line, ending a run of over 41 years. During that time, as you’d imagine, the exact specification had changed somewhat but the basic recipe remained constant. Small, light and nimble, it was still miles more fun than most other cars on the road.
That final car was a Rover Mini Cooper Sport like this one (albeit in red), with a 62hp fuel-injected 1275cc A series engine driving the front wheels through a four speed gearbox. Doesn’t sound much, does it? You can probably buy a more powerful lawnmower these days. But bear in mind that at 693kg, the Mini weighs less than a Mark 1 Lotus Elise and, as we all know, it’s not what you’ve got, it’s how you use it. And with its cheeky looks and go kart handling, the classic Mini is as entertaining to own and drive as it ever was.
This British Racing Green example hails from the final few months of production with an incept date of 19th July 2000. It’s currently in the hands of a former racing driver who used to drive Minis in Rallycross in the seventies but has been up to no such antics, enjoying a pampered life in a garage and covering a few hundred miles a year. The original intention when he acquired it from a local friend in 2018 was to do some light mechanical work with his son but life has got in the way and the car has mainly been to and from shows, continuing the pattern of usage of the previous owner who bought it in 2016 from a dealer in Tunbridge Wells. In fact, the only work of note that’s been needed has been a new heater matrix and a clutch slave cylinder seal. Otherwise, with the limited mileage that it’s covered, all that has been needed is just oil and filter changes which have been taken care of at home.
The vendor has recently been offered a very tasty V8 Sebring MGB GT (we’ve seen the pics) and, with the garage space for only one car, has decided to let the Mini go to a new owner.
The car is accompanied by its original wallet of manuals and a service record stamped up to 2004 by main dealers and independents to 2016, with supporting invoices attached to many of the pages. There’s also a collection of invoices from the likes of Mini Spares and Mini Sport which are mostly for sundry items from the last five years, together with a selection of old MOT certificates. It has been recently tested and the current MOT expires on 26 May 2022.
Anyone who remembers the stark minimalism of the mark 1 Mini interior may be surprised by the ‘Mini in a posh frock’ leather seats and full dashboard from the other end of the production run. True, by modern standards it’s not loaded with kit but the essentials are there and are in full working order. The turned aluminium dash is simple but classy and is topped with a stitched leather finish that complements the two-tone leather seats which are in great condition, front and rear. The characteristic canted steering wheel is also leather-covered, though showing some wear to the light grey leather. Presumably to offset the extra weight of the leather, the doors sport lightweight drilled aluminium handles on the inside, though it could just be because they look cool. The headlining is all secure and a tilting glass sunroof adds some extra airiness.
In the boot there is the Mini-branded toolkit, a fuel tank and, to be frank, not a great deal of luggage space, but you knew that already.
Finished in British Racing Green under a silver roof with bonnet stripes to match, this Cooper Sport certainly cuts a dash. Four spotlights are complemented by headlights which have been converted to Halogen bulbs which means no shortage of illumination in the dark lanes. The car presents very well with a lovely shine and good chrome work. There are a few blemishes which apparent on closer inspection, however: a car park ding in the driver’s door, a ripple in the bonnet on the driver’s side, a small dink in the passenger side bonnet stripe and a few patches where the paintwork is bubbling. This is to be found to varying degrees on the driver’s side on the lower front wing, behind the driver’s door, below the rear side window and under the windscreen and, on the passenger side, on the sill below the door, at the rear of the door skin, at the base of the front wing and under the headlight. None of this looks to be structural however and should avoid becoming so if addressed in the not too distant future.
The car runs on enormous (for a Mini) 13 inch wheels which are set into flared arches and are all in good condition aside from a few light kerbing marks and which are shod with a fairly fresh set of Yokohama tyres. The decals are in good condition and the car will come with its original plates bearing the reg W749 SGJ, though it has been MOT’d most recently on its current private plate, P51ODT.
The diminutive engine compartment has not grown over the years, even if the number of components that have to be squeezed in there have. The modern ECU was certainly never planned for in the original design. That said, it does all fit and although it’s not quite as easy to work on as the early cars, the engine is still very accessible for the home mechanic.
It fires up first time and has a suitably rorty exhaust note when revved. On the road it has plenty of go to keep up with modern traffic and will even reportedly cruise at 80 where it’s legal to do so. There are no untoward noises, just the usual Mini sound effects, and the standard-issue go kart handling is present and correct. The only item to report is that the owner believes that the synchro on second gear is starting to go as it will sometimes crunch a little if changing down from third without double declutching and it will jump out of gear when coming sharply off the throttle after hard acceleration in second. While this will need addressing at some point, it is perfectly possible to drive around it in the meantime.
In sales terms at least, BMW have been successful in squeezing as much as possible from the Mini brand. But as the years tick by since the end of classic Mini production, the original is becoming an increasingly desirable antidote to some of the excesses of modern motoring and, while you might not want to entertain the idea of a lengthy daily commute in one, there remains huge appeal in the prospect of Mini ownership. The Rover Mini Cooper Sport, to give it its rather lengthy full title, was a fitting swansong and, with parts availability and club support as strong as ever, it’s a popular choice.
This example is fabulous to look at and fun to drive and, although not without a few jobs to take care of over time, should be perfectly usable straight away. With values of classic Minis on the ascendency, if you’re considering taking the plunge then it may be best to do so before they move out of reach. And providing you’re up for some minor fettling, then this one should provide many smiles per gallon.
Notice to bidders
Although every care is taken to ensure this listing is as factual and transparent as possible, all details within the listing are subject to the information provided to us by the seller. Car & Classic does not take responsibility for any information missing from the listing. Please ensure you are satisfied with the vehicle description and all information provided before placing a bid.
As is normal for most auctions, this vehicle is sold as seen, and therefore the Sale of Goods Act 1979 does not apply. All bids are legally binding once placed. Any winning bidder who withdraws from a sale, is subject to our bidders fee charge. Please see our FAQs and T&C's for further information. Viewings of vehicles are encouraged, but entirely at the seller's discretion.
Il modo più sicuro per acquistare un'auto d'epoca online
Il sistema di pagamento sicuro di Car & Classic protegge acquirenti e venditori. Al termine dell'asta, l'offerente vincente trasferisce il pagamento su un conto vincolato di terzi. Una volta completato il trasferimento del veicolo, entrambe le parti confermano di essere soddisfatte della vendita e il denaro viene rilasciato al venditore.
Maggiori informazioni su come acquistare con noi
2000 Rover Mini Cooper Sport
Come funzionano le offerte massime
Il processo di offerta massima ti permette di fare offerte senza preoccupazioni.
Inserisci la tua offerta massima e il sistema farà offerte automaticamente per assicurarsi che tu sia il miglior offerente - fino all'ammontare da te stabilito come tetto massimo.
Anti-sniping
Car & Classic contrasta il fenomeno dello “sniping”, ovvero il fenomeno dei rilanci all'ultimo secondo per vincere l'asta.
Se viene fatta un'offerta nei 3 minuti prima della chiusura dell'asta, la scadenza di questa viene automaticamente estesa di 2 minuti per permettere agli altri offerenti di reagire e, se lo desiderano, di rilanciare.
Incrementi di offerta automatica
Se la sua offerta massima è uguale o inferiore al prezzo di riserva, la sua offerta massima sarà applicata per intero se lei è il miglior offerente.
Se siete il miglior offerente e fate un'offerta massima superiore a quella di riserva, la riserva verrà automaticamente inserita come prima offerta.
Una volta raggiunta la riserva, Car & Classic si assicurerà che tu sia il miglior offerente utilizzando solo gli incrementi di offerta indicati di seguito.
Vi terremo in testa fino alla vostra offerta massima O all'incremento più vicino alla vostra offerta massima, a condizione che la vostra offerta massima sia sufficiente a coprire il valore dell'incremento.
Ammontare dell'offerta
Incremento
Da £0 a £9,999
£100.00
Da £10,000 a £49,999
£250.00
Da £50,000 a £99,999
£500.00
£100,000 +
£1,000.00
Superamento immediato dell'offerta
Quando piazzi un'offerta massima e questa viene immediatamente superata, questo significa che un altro offerente ha impostato una soglia di offerta massima superiore alla tua.
Puoi fare nuovamente un'offerta o impostare una soglia più alta di offerta massima e il nostro sistema rilancerà fino alla nuova soglia, cercando di portarti a essere il miglior offerente.
Offerte massime di pari ammontare
Quando ci sono due offerte massime di pari ammontare, quella impostata per prima è quella che viene considerata “migliore offerta”.
Pre-autorizzazione
Potremmo trattenere un piccolo importo di pre-autorizzazione sulla tua carta fino alla fine dell'asta, quando quest'ultimo verrà poi stornato. Se vinci, verrà prelevata una caparra che verrà detratta dal pagamento del prezzo di vendita per il veicolo e non comporta costi aggiuntivi per te.
Cosa sono le Offerte pre-asta?
Offerte pre-asta significa che avete la possibilità di fare offerte prima dell'inizio ufficiale dell'asta.
Verrà comunicato se si è il miglior offerente o meno all'inizio dell'asta.
Problema con l'offerta
Le offerte sono contrattualmente vincolanti. Per tutelare l'utente, sono previste alcune regole nel caso in cui si ritenga che sia stato digitato in modo errato. Si prega di controllare e modificare quanto inserito.
